Random Acts of Exercise: Why Little Movements Can Have Big Benefits

For people who dread hitting the gym or going for a jog, this one’s for you. A new study finds that people who do more “incidental” physical activities – like sweeping or taking a stroll around the office – have better cardiorespiratory fitness than those who do less. Study author Ashlee McGuire and fitness expert Fred DeVito offer some suggestions for how to sprinkle these incidental acts into your day.

Though we may not like it, we all know that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity leads to serious benefits for one’s heart and overall health. But in contrast to the long held notion that low-key activity does little or nothing for your fitness, researchers now say that small activities like chores and errands may actually have cumulative effect over time.

In the new study, the research team had overweight participants wear accelerometers to measure how much random activity they did every day. Then they challenged the participants’ cardiorespiratory fitness with a treadmill test and spirometry, a test of lung function. The results were sweet: people who engaged in more activities in their daily routines had significantly better heart-lung function than people who did less. The more intense these minor movements, the better their fitness level.

As many of us know, starting a hard core exercise routine can be daunting to the point of paralyzing – so just doing what you can is a good start. Starting slowly, doing the things you do anyway and building up over time, is a more realistic way to begin.

McGuire underlines that the take-home message is really that every little bit of activity adds up over the long haul. For example, while “parking a block away from work instead of in the parking lot directly outside the office may not seem like it would be helpful (because it only amounts to a total of 10 minutes of extra walking per day), it actually is,” she says. “Each little bit of physical activity that is performed will add up over the course of the day or week. It also doesn’t matter how hard the physical activity is, even the easy or very low intensity physical activity is beneficial when it is all added up at the end of the day.”

And since you’re probably already doing many of these incidental activities already, now knowing that they’re actually helping your health may help you do more.

Fred DeVito, who co-founded the Core Fusion® workout, agrees that getting over the mental block is half the battle. “When exercise is looked at as a chore, it becomes a burden,” he says. Start getting active little by little, “by choosing an activity or multiple activities that you find fun. Walking with your headphones on is a great way to start. No pressure, no goals or expectations. Just go and take a long walk. Breathe, meditate while moving. From there you begin to eat better and take care of yourself.”

DeVito’s final thoughts for would-be exercisers or those who have taken a little hiatus: “When you have a setback – and you will – the desire to live a healthier lifestyle needs to be your driving force. Never look back, always love and forgive yourself.”

Here are some creative, and mostly pain-free, ways to add a little more activity to your day.

Image by Ed Yourdon via Flickr

Drop to Plank

Fred DeVito, fitness expert and executive vice president of training at Exhale spa, suggests doing a “two-minute plank pose every morning before you shower.” The posture will strengthen and tone virtually every muscle in your body. Plank pose is intense – two minutes will leave you panting!

Walk to the Next Station

Allowing yourself 10 extra minutes before you get on the bus or train, says DeVito, gives you the opportunity for a quick walk before starting your day. Get on the subway one station further from where you normally would – or if you drive to work, park 10 minutes away, which adds an automatic 20 minutes of exercise to your day!

Save an Email

Walking over to talk to your coworker face-to-face, instead of sending an email, is the classic workplace way to burn a few extra calories, says researcher Ashlee McGuire. “It may only take 2 minutes to walk down the hallway but during this time you are burning calories, increasing blood flow, contracting your muscles, and loosening your joints.”

Clean House. Literally.

Cleaning your house is probably something you do anyway, but now you can do it knowing that you’re improving the health of your heart. Sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, and vacuuming are all activities that tally up to help your health over the long term.

Do Some Curls with the Campbell’s

“Grab a few soup cans or water jugs and do some resistance training (e.g., bicep curls) while you’re watching your favorite show.” Of course, actual weights also work. Just a few minutes of resistance a day will burn calories and build muscle.

Work It during Commercials

McGuire suggests jumping off the couch “at each commercial break to do a few jumping jacks and push-ups – or even to put away some laundry.” These little activities all matter when it comes to cardiorespiratory health.

Unleash Your Inner Animal

To limber up and build muscle, “drop to the floor and do 3 cat/cow stretches and a down dog at least once a day,” says DeVito. These can be done at home or even in the office if you have a moment alone.

Rock out to the Wiggles

McGuire suggests one more way to get active: jump in and “dance with your young daughter/niece/grand-daughter instead of watching.” It probably isn’t necessary – or even possible – to keep up with all your kids’ shenanigans, but joining in when you can provides a nice little work out. Your kid and your heart will thank you.

I fell into writing about health shortly after grad school, where I realized I didn't want to work in a lab for the rest of my life! My main areas of interest are the brain and behavior, as well as what influences the decisions we make about our health, and how we can chang...